ocean with six grammy nominations. the contenders announced last night at a star-studded concert hosted by ll cool j and taylor swift. the black keys for record of the year and kelly clarkston's stronger is up and taylor swift's "never getting back together." "newsroom" continues with brooke baldwin. >> thank you. concerns they're rising over chemical weapons sites in syria and today for the first time defense secretary leon panetta says the most recent intelligence raises, his words, serious concerns. >> the whole world is watching. the whole world is watching very closely and the president of the united states has made very clear that there will be

consequences, there will be consequences if the assad regime makes a terrible mistake by using these chemical weapons on their own people. >> earlier today, leon panetta. we'll have a report from the pentagon on syria in a moment. first, shock waves in washington. a powerful republican senator suddenly calling it quits. south carolina senator jim demint will step down december 31st to lead the heritage foundation. it's a powerful conservative think tank in washington. demint says he can be more effective outside the senate. >> a lot of my role in the senate has been stopping bad things and saying no to bad things. but we need to do more than that and tell americans what we're for. one of the mistakes i think the republican party made the last two years is trying to make obama the issue without sharing with america bold reform ideas that get people inspired to get

behind us. >> senator demint, huge tea party supporter. sometimes clashes with his own party's leadership. he is leaving with four years left in his senate term. earlier, he said he'd retire when the term was up in 2017 but gave no previous indication he might quit now. i want to go to dana bash joining me on the phone here. dana, huge surprise to a lot of people. what's behind the resignation. >> reporter: a huge stunner. nobody saw it coming. i was told by a source close to demint he didn't accept the job until yesterday telling the staff this morning, called the governor in south carolina who, of course, will have to appoint the successor and told the republican leaders here. but look. the reason why it's such a surprise is because demint really has been over the past few years somebody who takes pride in his job. and the role that any one

senator can do, which is to gum up the works and very much, obviously, an inside job. he said he could be better outside than inside an he said he feels better about leaving because he has been able to get a number -- really, half a dozen tea party-like conservatives elected. >> let me jump in, dana. i want to run through them because, you know, when we think senator demint we think of a tea party stronghold within the u.s. senate and helped and also hurt a number of republican candidates. who were they? >> reporter: that's right. great. let's start with the senators now. obviously, who he helped elect. this is the positive side of his millions and his work. marco rubio, pat toomey. very conservative, anti-tax, anti-government purists in the mold of jim demint.

however, he also backed in republican primaries a number of republican candidates who simply were not electable according to the republican establishment and the establishment was right. for example, remember christine o'donnell, i'm not a witch, from delaware. ken buck of colorado. and others. so those are some of the reasons why he definitely has ruffled many a-feather with the party leaders and i have to tell you first thing i saw when the senate republican leader mitch mcconnell released a statement today was making the point that demint had, quote, uncompromising service. didn't have to read between the lines too much to see there's a backhanded compliment. >> dana, what about bigger picture here and talking about the republican party aenl just talking about folks like ryan and rubio, let's say, part of maybe the next generation republicans. do you think that demint's brand of republicanism is falling out of favor with sort of the newer

version of what the republican party is trying to create? >> i don't think so. i think that demint himself said thefe le i've had -- easier for him to leave because there's more people like him in the senate. you know, him saying that he can do more on the outside might be true, you know, what he's done on the inside as i said isn't just gumming up the works and making a case even because on party for a more strict anti-government platform but, you know, now he's going to go out and sort of focus on the whole more of a policy than the politics and i talked to some republican sources when i heard the news, republican sources to -- not the biggest fans of jim demint because they feel like he really hurt their ability to gain the majority and backing the losing candidates. that there actually is some concern among the quote/unquote establishment that demint could do more or be more powerful at

the heritage society than here at a senator. >> how about that? a stunner today. dana bash for me on the phone, senior congressional correspondent. president obama taking the pr on the road to visit with a middle class family in northern virginia this afternoon and push to preserve the middle class tax cut if the president and congress can't reach a deal you know the story. tax rates for the middle class and everyone else will go up the first of next year. meanwhile, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell prevented a simple majority vote to give the president unilateral power to raise the u.s. debt limit. senator mcconnell is demanding 60 senate votes for passage. president obama pushed for the power transfer in a most recent and main proposal last week on the fiscal cliff. now no john mcafee. the millionaire software guru wanted in questioning in the

neighbor's murder in belize. maybe you heard mcafee. got arrested in guatemala overnight. shouldn't come as much of a surprise here. the whole time supposedly on the run, he was handing out tv interviews like candy. but listen to this. now the mcafee is in jail, he is blogging from behind bars. the story just keeps getting more interesting, shall we say? more on the blogging here in a moment. but first, i have to play you this video. this is the video of his arrest. surprise-surprise. he was with a camera crew from vice.com when guatemalan police took him in. the charge, entering that country illegally. take a look here. exclusive video of vice.com. >> they're trying to arrest me. guatemalan jails have beds. >> john, where are you going? >> to jail. >> when will you be out? >> and off he goes. to think, just yesterday, mcafee

was telling us he was seeking asylum in guatemala. been on the run since 10th of november for that murder after the murder of his neighbor, american ex-pat greg fall. this is fall here. belize police say they just want to talk to mcafee but in guatemala mcafee accused belize of percent kutding him for refusing to pay a bribe to a local politician. the prime minister of belize has two words to describe mcafee. bonkers and paranoid. in guatemala yesterday, he called a news conference. listen closely as he tells his girlfriend about the cameras and how they're a big part of his life in the u.s. he's a celebrity. once again, vice media there to catch it all. >> you never seen this before, have you? >> no. never in my life. >> this is my life in america, sweetie. >> it is. that's good. >> you will see that i'm quite comfortable with this. >> this brings me back to the jailhouse blog.

he has an official one. he calls it the hinterland. listen to how he describes the guatemalan jailers here. quoting the post here. i am using the computer of one of the wardens or whatever the title is used here. he is a sweet man and a gentleman. the world is heavily populated with gentle people. he makes he coffee. i believe i could spend weeks in the desert with him as a sole companion without once becoming irritated. his name is gino ennati. hear about the request for asylum, request denied. expect mcafee shipped back to belize and shortly. stay tuned on this one. smoking marijuana is legal today in washington state. so, will federal law enforcement look the other way? i'm brooke baldwin. the news is now. tanks roll in to the streets.

protesters target egypt's president. what is next for this country in turmoil over a constitutional shutdown? and an iowa family holding out hope for two little girl who is disappeared. now their bodies have been found and the search is on for suspects in their abduction. and might your next computer be made in the usa? after 20 years of manufacturing overseas, apple says mac is mack to being made in america.

marijuana history takes a new turn in the united states. and an improm tu pot party. take a look. yep. pot party at midnight near a seattle landmark. the space needle. look at the crowds. marking the moment washington state became the first in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use. washington voters approved it last month's election so let me throw this at you. there's ground rules here. you have to be over the age of

21. you can have up to an ounce in your possession. no more. and despite seattle's overnight smoke fest, you are not supposed to light up a joint in public. here's a big catch. you still have to go underground to get it. growing and selling pot illegal. at least for now they are. miguel marquez has the story in seattle. miguel? >> reporter: brooke, for pot smokers here in washington state, it is a day for celebration and partying. the legalization of pot. but proponents of this initiative say this is only the first step. this is what you assume the stores will look like? >> yeah. our stores are going to have the feel of a fine cigar shop. >> reporter: jaman was at microsoft and preparing to open as many as two dozen high end marijuana shops in washington and colorado. yesterday he'd be called a drug dealer. today, an entrepreneur. >> our target market is baby boomers.

folks tried it in college a couple times, maybe they didn't inhale. and but now it's actually safe to inhale. >> reporter: he's already working on packaging and attractive displays for future clients. the state lick cord board has a year to regulate. all of it taxable at a very high 25%. >> we are looking at the potential of bringing in more than $500 million each year in new tax revenue. >> reporter: the big question still, what will the federal government do? pot still illegal federally. today, a regular legal toke. the federal government is saying that the laws in colorado and washington under review and it's l still illegal at the federal level. there will be pot stores on certain areas throughout the

state and pot, the processing, the production, and the selling of it will all be licensed by the state of washington. brooke? >> miguel marquez, thank you. speaking of pot stores and miguel introduced us to one, there's a group of business men and women cashing in on legal marijuana. they're actually calling themselves goncha-preneurs. john kerry is firing at santorum orr a treaty. they rejected the ratification of the treaty on tuesday despite appearance on the floor by former majority leader bob dole in his wheelchair all in an effort to draw support. santorum explained the opposition in a piece published in "the daily beast" saying in part, let me yoquote, our natio has been the worldwide leader. we suld be telling nato and

not the other way how to have dignity. senator kerry said santorum doesn't know what he's talking about. >> i have great respect for both rick and his wife karen and their daughter and their family. he is a strong family man. but he either simply hasn't read the treaty or doesn't understand it or he was just not factual in what he said because the united nations has absolutely zero, zero, i mean, zero ability to order or to tell or to even -- i mean, they can suggest but they have no legal capacity to tell the united states to do anything under this treaty. nothing. >> senator kerry referring there to santorum's daughter bella born with a rare genetic disorder. he said santorum and othere , ht

e tragic ending to a month's long search for two missing cousins. coming up next, the news here today on these iowa girls last seen in july when they left for a bike ride. [ man ] in hong kong, on my way to the board meeting...

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the families of two missing iowa girls preparing for the worst right now. hunters found two bodies in a wooded area just yesterday afternoon. near the area where 10-year-old lyric cook and 8-year-old cousin elizabeth collins last seen in july. >> i can tell you that we do have two bodies that had been found. right now, it's looking that the outcome was not the one that we wanted, yes. >> i've been praying for the family, both families. it is heart breaking. >> the families of the girls asked for privacy as they await for the medical examiners to i.d. these bodies. lyric and elizabeth last seen by their grandmother on july 13th out on a bike ride. authorities hope to release more information at a news conference later this afternoon. and a number of congressmen

and women left town but before they left they got rid of the word lunatics. sounds like a satirical, far-fetched article. but they voted to ban the word lunatic of federal law and keeping the word idiot. lunatic is considered outdated and believes that people would be moon struck by lunar movements. the lone no vote came from texas congressman who believes the word still applies in washington saying we should not eliminate the word lunatic from federal law when the most pressing issue of the day is saving our country from bankruptcy. continuing on, we should use the word to describe the people who want to continue with business as usual in washington. end quote. the senate by the way passed the bill months ago. now actually it goes on to president obama for his

signature. prince william's wife is out of the hospital three days after being admitted with severe case of morning sickness. katherine, the duchess of cambrid cambridge, leaving this morning with a small bouquet of yellow roses and royal officials say she is not yet 12 weeks pregnant. no word yet as far as any kind of due date for the baby. possibility here of chemical weapons in syria. the defense secretary issues a warning to syria's president. we are on the story next. yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'.

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preparing chemical agents for possible use on the battlefield. late this morning, defense secretary panetta, the latest u.s. official here to warn embattled leader bashar al assad, don't do it. listen. he was responding to a question from our own pentagon correspondent barbara starr. >> reporter: barbara, without commenting on the specific intelligence that we have with regards to these chemical weapons, i think there is no question that we remain very concerned, very concerned that as the opposition advances, in particular, on damascus, that the regime might very well consider the use of chemical weapons. the whole world is watching. the whole world is watching very closely and the president of the united states has made very clear that there will be

consequences. there will be consequences if the assad regime makes a terrible mistake using these weapons on their own people. >> panetta said that intelligence now in the hands of the u.s. government quote/unquote raises serious concerns bashar al assad is considering using the chemical weapons. we have detail from barbara starr, our pentagon correspondent. >> reporter: syrian civilians already terrified and on the run. but it may be about to get worse. with intelligence showing bashar al assad's regime is mixing chemical weapons materials, cnn has learned the pentagon and u.s. intelligence services are urgently consulting with syria's neighbors, turkey, israel and jordan about what to do if it looks like assad is about to launch a chemical attack on his own people. >> as part of the absolute unity

that we all have on this issue, we have sent an unmistakable message that this would cross a red line and those responsible will be held to account. >> reporter: but after tens of thousands of syrians have been killed in months of war, why so much attention now? >> increasingly desperate assad regime might turn to chemical weapons or might lose control of them to one of the many groups that are now operating within syria. >> reporter: a chemical attack could kill thousands of syrians. but if the regime loses control, what if terrorists, rebels or insurgent groups get a hold of a chemical weapon and flee across the boarder? >> nobody knows the neighborhood better than the israelis. their intelligence on the ground, they have clear intelligence on what's going on. >> reporter: a u.s. official

says all the allies are considering how to keep syria of putting chemical warheads on its artillery or missiles but an air strike to stop it couldresidual escape. >> i fekts everything, the clothes, the linens, the vegetables, everything. >> reporter: what if assad is granted asylum? u.s. officials say they have long been planning for the day after assad. such as training jordanian troops to provide security but for now they just hope syrian troops will keep those chemical weapons under lock and key. but how loyal assad forces remain and for how long may be a measure of the regime's desperation. u.s. military officials believe the syrian forces are losing morale, running short on supplies but for now the killing continues. barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. >> barbara, thank you.

i want to bring in jill dougherty from ireland where the secretary of state hillary clinton held a news conference. keep in mind, russia here, really, resisted the efforts to speed the departure of the syrian leader al assad. so jill, do we know, was syria's chemical weapons, was that discussed here in this conversation between the secretary of state and the foreign minister of russia? >> reporter: well, yes. initially. there are actually two meetings between secretary clinton and the foreign minister. and you know, russia actually does -- this is one area where they do agree. russia is very much opposed to any type of use of chemical weapons and in fact secretary clinton thanked him for speaking about that which she did in brussels just yesterday, talking about that. although, brooke, you know, you have to say that the russians next breath say that they have raised that issue, in fact, with bashar al assad.

the president of syria. and he assures them that there's no use intended and it is not a problem and, so, you kind of have two messages coming from the russians but you would have to say they're very much opposed to that and a lot of concern. >> so do they then -- do the russians believe assad when he assures them that he won't? and, are there new sign that is the russians might be waivering in their support of assad? >> reporter: you know, it's thoohard to say whether they believe it. you have to say at least on the surface they're saying we are taking him at his word that he wouldn't use them. and they also say, president putin said, there's no way that syria is going to attack other countries, specifically turkey. because they're in enough of a problem with their internal conflict. but, you know, i do think that the very interesting development, brooke, is that it appear that is the russians

really are now moving toward re-evaluating that idea, that assad can survive. and you just have to look at what is happening here and there are also indications, you know, from an ally of vladimir putin being quoted by interfax saying that syria's government is incapable of doing its job properly and also our influence on the syrian leadership is very limited. so, i think there is some movement, whether it's going to change right now in these meetings with lavrov, probably not at this moment but there's a shift. >> okay. jill dougherty, thank you. violent protests in cairo. tanks roll through the streets. we're live from cairo straight ahead. americans are always ready to work hard for a better future.

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mohammed morsi to speak. this is after a night of violent clashes that killed six people and killed more than 670 injured. tanks, armored personnel carriers clearing the area, scattering clouds of 0 protesters fighting in the streets. the latest spiral of violence after morsi's sweeping power grab. supporters of the muslim brotherhood who back president morsi clashing with opponents saying he made himself a dictator. reza sayah in cairo, the president not spoken. when he does, what might he say? >> reporter: well, nobody really knows what he's going to say other than members of his inner circle, but certainly, there's a lot of pressure on president morsi to calm down this conflict that's been escalating over a few days, especially the last

night. we've eagerly waiting for him to speak, but he hasn't spoken yet. we're not quite sure what the delay is. initially, word was that at 6:00 p.m. local time, three and a half hours ago, he was going to deliver his speech and then reports came that this was going to be a taped speech. taped the address. dlifed it to state media and aired very soon. that was about an hour and a half ago. we're still waiting. meantime, opposition, critics of the president 0 steadily gathering out here in front of the presidential palace. about 4,000 of them, not a huge number but they're certainly spirited and loud. chanting for him to leave. of course, they are eager, too, to see what the president has to say. their position is that they want president morsi to annul and cancel the constitution. start over. some are calling for his ouster. we're going to see what the president has to say in the speech if anything to calm the

situation down. brooke? >> as we await for that speech, i want to ask you about resignations today. one of morsi's top advisers, also the head of state tv. how significant is that? >> reporter: well, it's significant. these are his advisers. today one of his advisers was a member of the freedom and justice party that's a political wing of the muslim brotherhood. if this trend continues, certainly, that's going to apply more pressure on him. but for now, he's given no indication that he plans to back down from his position. yes, vice president and spokesperson, saying that the goal is to have this national referendum on december 15th for egypt to vote on this constitution. will he have a change of strategy today and back down from that position? if he backs down, will that be a sign of weakness? a lot of questions yet to be answered. >> we'll be watching again for

him to speak and possibly come back to you. thank you for us in cairo. back here at home, marking a tragedy in kansas city. family, friends saying good-bye today at the funeral for kasandra perkins. her boyfriend kansas chief players, remembered her boyfriend, jovan belcher. news about their little girl. that's coming up. who thinks two is better than one? so all of you do. yes, for sure. now what's better? being able to shoot two lasers out of both of your eyes at the same time or just one laser out of one eye? [ all kids ] two! [ moderator ] okay, why? if it's just one beam -- okay, it does a little bit of damage. two beams -- it will make something explode! and that's more fun? yeah! and it's more powerful you're saying? yeah! [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. doing two things at once is better. and only at&t's network lets you talk and surf

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don't wait. call now. funeral held in texas for

the girlfriend of jovan belcher, kasandra perkins survived by the 3-month-old daughter zoe. we're learning this. today from the nfl, little zoe will receive at least $1 million as she grows up. pictures taken from belcher's memorial service here in kansas city yesterday. members of the chiefs arrived on buses dressed in suits and ties. the team moved up the practice schedule so the players could attend the surface. belcher shot and killed perkins last week before killing himself. for more than 20 years, byu basketball coach dave rose is involved with coaches versus cancer. now that fight against cancer has become much more personal for rose. cnn's chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta has his story in this week's "human factor."

>> reporter: it's a cause close to his heart. and this year for the first time, dave rose got to take his byu basketball team to the coach's versus cancer classic tournament. what made it all the more poignant for him is battle he fought with pancreatic cancer beginning three years ago. >> if we can do something to try to help raise awareness, help find a cure, it's personal to me. i understand how these people feel. >> reporter: it symptoms came on suddenly on an airplane returning from a family vacation. >> i got really sick. to where i was light headed and i couldn't even actually sit up so they laid me down, moved some of the passengers and brought oxygen and cleared the plane and then brought medics on and carted me off the plane and took me to the hospital. i had ten units of blood trance fused and found the mass and then went in and removed it and

told me i had cancer. that was about a 48-hour, you know, process of really changed our whole lives. >> reporter: the operation was a success. doctors removed the tumor with the spleen and they also removed a blood clot that developed after surgery. he was back on the court two months after surgery. he continued to take his team to the ncaa tournament. he led the cougars to their first appearance in the sweet 16 in 30 years. >> one of the guys here today they'll feel different than when they came in. on the line. good job, white. on the line. on the line. >> reporter: now three and a half years after the day he collapsed, rose is still cancer free. >> i feel like i've been given a second chance. there was a real possibility that my time here was going to be numbered and now i feel like everything i get to do is really just a blessing for me and that

i really hope i can appreciate. >> go, go, go! >> reporter: dr. sanjay gupta, cnn reporting. >> sanjay gupta, thank you. make sure you watch "sanjay gupta md" on saturdays 4:30 p.m. and sunday 7:30 a.m. eastern time. all right. got a list for you. "forbes" magazine out with the most powerful people list for 2012 based on whether the person has power over people or multiple places. think about it. top five. number five, the pope. no huge surprise there. number four, microsoft co-founder bill gates. number three, russian president vladimir putin. so who are the top two most powerful, most influential people here? the answer after this short break. [ woman ] ring. ring.

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where were we? we were showing you the five, four, three -- in terms of top five "forbes" most powerful people of the year. top two positions, many of you guessing on twitter. one of you just guessed. number two, angela her kemercke. now, someone just guessed it. president of the united states, barack obama. the poem is called "other." it's written by a beautiful young woman. her name is neo. sadly, that word other is how people are forced to describe ethnicity because they don't fit if a certain box. she says she was too light skinned for the black kids she grew up around. teasing and taunts of childhood still haunt her today. soledad o'brien tells her story.

>> it's a poem about her life. but neo jones is struggling to recite it it aalways called me white girl. i was never ashamed of myself until they taught me to be ashamed. >> reporter: she calls it "other" or the biracial poem. it's about being bullied by black kids. >> i remember the taunts well in to the nights. the brands of vanilla took years to fade. >> reporter: now the tough part. she has to perform it at the first spoken word poetry competition of the season. it's painful. >> i pretended. no black mother to explain how this tall white man ended up with a short chestnut skinned girl. they doubted he was ever my father. >> reporter: seven hours until show time and neo can't remember the poem. >> find it. you got it. i can tell you why you're not remembering.

it's pieces and personal we don't want to connect to it. i wrote it. i'm done. that's the beginning. part two is owning it. like spitting it out there in the world. proclaiming this is what it was. >> they always called me white girl. i was never ashamed of myself until they taught me to be ashamed. >> don't, don't. >> i don't want to -- this is gross. >> it is not gross. >> just so frustrated. i don't know. >> it's okay. i promise you it gets easier. come here. come here. let go. you got this. it's all right, sweetie. >> hmm. you can watch more of soledad's reporting examining questions about skin color, discrimination and race. who is block in america? premiers sunday night 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. only on cnn. a bold and costly move by

apple after years of making its high tech products overseas, find out why the company will soon manufacture a computer right here in the usa. we're at walmart talking about the low price guarantee with brandy who is stocking up for the holidays. look at that price. that's great! if you find a lower advertised price, walmart will match it at the register. really? yeah. there you have it. oh my goodness! that's the walmart low price guarantee. see for yourself. bring in your last receipt and see how much you can save. be ready. with the season's tastiest brands. like sea pak shrimp spring rolls. delicious handmade rolls, authentic asian taste. walmart has everything you need to be ready for holiday hosting. with our low price guarantee backed by ad match. walmart.

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we are getting pictures in here from michigan and show you and tell you what's happening there. there are large protests, basically closing down the state capitol building here. this is lansingmy, michigan. eight people arrested. there are a couple thousand people protesting inside the building. a number of them outside the capitol building. police, they say they're not letting anyone else inside. 50 state troopers are there on the ground. protests are over a push by the governor of michigan, rick

snyder to make michigan a right to work state. letting workers in michigan decide whether or not they want to join unions. so the capitol is scheduled to close in just about two and a half hours from now. so police say anyone who refuses to leave will be arrested and will be charged with trespa trespassing. i want to talk about this, though. one of the biggest companies, the biggest companies without a doubt in the world moving jobs out of china. bringing them back to america. apple c eo tim cook with this announcement. >> so we've been working for years on doing more and more in the united states. next year, one of the existing mac lines in the united states. >> existing mac lines. dan simons, you cover things technology here. apple's been under pressure to move production back here, back to the u.s. why now? >> reporter: well, you know, they've been under pressure to

do this for sometime. something to do with the human rights an i buss in the plants and here's an opportunity to give back, you know, something to the american economy. the way you look at things is, you know, the company is going to be spending $100 million in terms of bringing back jobs to the u.s. some may say $100 million, you know, is not a lot of money considering that apple has more than $100 billion in the bank. but i think this is a positive sign in terms of how many workers we're talking about here -- >> how many jobs? >> reporter: we don't know precisely or the skills necessary. it's a great question. probably in the thousands of jobs. remember, this is one existing mac line. this is not the iphone or ipad. one line but probably in the thousands, brooke. >> in the thousands. and so, apple chock eed up the one-day stock drop.

do you think the shift, has to be a profitable move for apple hopefully. >> reporter: well, you know, there are two ways of looking at it. you are using cheap labor in china. not going to have that in the united states and also you're talking about adding infrastructure costs. how that might impact the bottom line, you know, remains to be seen and tim cook made it clear this is not a financial move necessarily. this is a move to really bring back jobs to the united states and do something positive for the american economy. >> yeah. i guess i say hopefully. precisely the point. so many people want the jobs in this country. thank you. all right. hour two. welcome back. i'm brooke baldwin. concerns rising over chemical weapons sites in syria and first time defense secretary panetta says the most recent intelligence he has raises serious concerns.

>> the whole world is watching. the whole world is watching very closely and the president of the united states has made very clear that there will be consequences. there will be consequences if the assad regime makes a terrible mistake by using these chemical weapons on their own people. >> we're going to talk about what's happening with syria today here in a moment. but first, marijuana. marijuana history taking a new turn in the united states today. >> three, two, one! >> countdown's over. impromptu pot party. washington state, the first in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use. you can't go all cheech and chong here. >> i've been smoking since i was born, man. i could smoke anything, man.

>> here's a deal. there are several rules here. 21 or over. up to an ounce in your possession, no more than an ounce. you are not supposed to light up in public. and here's the biggy. you still have to go underground to get this. growing pot and selling pot remain illegal. but there's a new group of business men waiting in the wings here to cash in. he is tripp keeber of colorado where medical marijuana is legal. recreational use is about to be legal next month. so, tripp, welcome to you. and let me ask you, how does the word gonga-preneur sit with you? >> it doesn't. i think of myself as an entrepreneur busy at that for three years and today is a milestone not only for my business but for the industry.

with the end of prohibition, the legalization of marijuana in the state of washington and not too distant from now here in state of colorado. >> so the company, what do you sell? >> dixie lixirs and ed i believes is licensed here in the state of colorado by the department of revenue and we are an infused products manufacturer. three years ago we started with one product which was an effect a pot soda. today, three years later, ten delivery systems or product lines with over 70 unique products giving patients here in the state of colorado and potentially consumers the option to embrace marijuana other than smoking it. >> so, soda. i was on your website. i saw chocolate. i saw ice cream. you know, tripp, i looked to try to see just in your background, and you're a real estate and technology money guy so are you

smoking or are you eating this stuff or is it merely about the other kind of green for you? >> you know, i'm fortunate because i'm a relatively healthy 44-year-old male and although at one time i did have a red card which allowed me to access this important medicine, i don't actually typically use it. the products we develop are clearly innovative giving patients a sparkling beverage, a sparkling red pomegranate or a pharmaceutical grade cannabis capsule, an opportunity for those who can't necessarily embrace the plant in a smoking format, someone that has lung cancer, we're very, very excited an i haven't done this on my own. i have an incredibly strong and a powerful team of scientists. >> i'm sure you're not the only -- not just dixie lixir and edibles and other it is line up. big picture, looking ahead and just washington state today.

legalizing recreational use and the state you are in, colorado, first of the year. big picture looking ahead, where do you see that the marijuana industry going? how big might it get? >> well, it's absolutely fascinating, brooke. i mean, about a year and a half ago they pegged the industry just under $2 billion growing to about $9 billion over 4 years. what i would describe as hockey stick growth and state of colorado with $300 million in revenue, overnight with the legalization of marijuana, probably a three to four increase. you go from 100,000 patients to 1 million consumers and market from 300 million to excess of a billion dollars overnight and certainly what the state of washington is experiencing. they've put a peg at just over $46 billion domestically. put a syntax on that and approximately $20 billion in revenue. >> you mentioned the federal

government. here's the big but to this entire story. it's illegal under the federal government. let's read what the statement of u.s. attorney's office, regardless of any changes in state law, growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law. what if -- we don't know yet. that is evolving story. but what if the feds go from wagging their fingers over this to a full-blown crackdown? talking about investing millions in a business. would you be prepared for that? >> well, it's a fascinating dynamic. you're absolutely right. today, there's 18 states including the district of clul yeah that offer some form of medical marijuana or in washington and colorado's case, legalization regulated like alcohol. there's been an incredible groundswell. today in new jersey, opening a first medical marijuana center. >> but the feds could come to you saying, shut it down, this

is illegal. would you be ready for that? >> absolutely. no one is prepared for the federal government knocking on their door but in 100% compliance with the state and partner ensuring that we're 100% compliant and follow the rules and regulations and thousands of businesses here in the state of colorado that do the same. >> tripp keber, thank you for joining me. what a story. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. we've got some news here. the president, president obama just talking with this middle class family in northern virginia. part of the push to preserve the middle class tax cut. here he is around the table in the washington area today. if the president and congress cannot reach a deal, tax rates for the middle class and everyone else goes up the first of the year. meanwhile, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell today prevented a simple majority vote to give the president the power to raise the u.s. debt ceiling. president obama pushed for the

power trance fosform as part of white house plan they unveiled a week ago. fiscal cliff, 26 days away. christine romans explains how going over the cliff could affect you and your family. >> reporter: brooke, here's what the sequester could mean for domestic programs. fewer women and children with assistance and child care aid. cuts to education nearly 100,000 head start spots at risk. more than 25,000 teachers and teachers aids could lose their jobs and science and public research grants could be cut including in to cancer and childhood diseases. fewer americans could receive drug abuse treatment and $700 million slashed from the epa budget. cutting back of food inspection. disaster relief, omb says,

quote, the federal emergency management administration's ability to respond would be undermined. and finally, from border patrol to hiring new fbi agents, correction officers, federal prosecutors, all could be scaled back. now, all of these cuts, brooke, don't happen exactly at 12:01 a.m. on january 2nd. they happen over the course of a year. but agencies are preparing for an impasse in washington. this is exactly, exactly what policymakers are trying to avoid. brooke? >> thank you. shock waves in washington today. powerful republican senator calling it quits. south carolina's senator jim demint will be stepping down december 31st to lead the heritage foundation. that's a powerful conservative think tank in d.c. demint says he can be more effective outside the senate. >> a lot of my role in the senate has been stopping bad things and saying no to bad things but we need to do more than that and tell americans

what we're for. one of the mistakes i think the republican party made the last two years is trying to make obama the issue without sharing with america bold reform ideas that get people inspired to get behind us. >> senator demint, tea party supporter, and sometimes clashes with his own party's leadership. he will be missed by democratic senator harry reid calling demint a friend. i have read his book. he's read my book. we are friends. we spent half hour within the past week talking about the senate. at this time, i didn't know that he was considering leaving. i'm not sure that he had made a decision at that time. i rather doubt it. but i've always liked the guy. and even though i disagreed with so much of what he's done, i appreciate that -- i personally believe he does this out of a sense of real belief.

it's not political posturing for him as it is for a lot of time. i like jim demint. i wish him well. >> keep in mind, demint is leaving with four years left in his senate term. earlier he had said he would retire in 2017 but gave no previous indication he might quit now. as concerns are rising over activity at syria's chemical weapons site a new round of diplomacy today. hillary clinton meets with russia's foreign minister, a long-time friend of syria's. so what happens next? i'm brooke baldwin. the news is now. when something brings you down, you got to get up. >> you okay, buddy? >> more than a month after superstorm sandy, a family living in a borrowed apartment is trying to put its life back together. plus, back behind bars.

john mcafee under arrest and get this. he's blogging from jail. and could an online review of a business get you sued? a new case raises the question, just how far can you go when you sound off online? tonight our guest, thomas sargent. nobel laureate in economics, and one of the most cited economists in the world. professor sargent, can you tell me what cd rates will be in two years? no. if he can't, no one can. that's why ally has a raise your rate cd. ally bank. your money needs an ally. wooohooo....hahaahahaha! oh...there you go.

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want to take you back to the urgent situation in syria where reports suggest the embattled leader al assad ordered the possible use of chemical sources. they're finding rebellion against his regime. that is warning today from defense secretary leon panetta. >> the whole world is watching. the whole world is watching very closely and the president of the united states has made very clear that there will be consequences. there will be consequences if the assad regime makes a terrible mistake by using these chemical weapons on their own people. >> panetta went on to say that

the united states now has intelligence that assad is actively considering using the chemical weapons. so what with retalking about here, these kemal weapons? cnn's tom foreman takes us there that. >> reporter: military analysts believe that syria may have one of the most expentensive chemic weapon stockpiles in the world. spread throughout the country. this, they say, the result of an aggressive development program started in the 1980s, aided by the russians and the iranians and cause for concern before. not only because th government there might use it, but also, because maybe these weapons could fall in to the hands of terrorists so precisely what are we talking about? first of all, mustard gas. this is an old chemical weapon. it was used in world war i. it doesn't act very quickly but it's extremely painful. it burns the skin, can burn the eyes and when inhaled it burns the lungs. it can be fatal but more often it's simply rendering an

opponent unable to fight anymore and can create chronic health problems like respiratory illness and blindness for the remainder of life. beyond that, sarin gas is a concern out there. it attacks the nervous system and can cause uncontrolled trembling, and then convulsions and then unconsciousness and death and beyond that, concern that they might have vx gas. some scientists consider this one of the most dangerous chemicals on the planet. it was originally developed as a pesticide but spread in a liquid form only a few drops on your arm or your hands would simply produce very quickly the same results as sarin gas, a collapse of your nervous system and death to follow soon thereafter. the simple truth is, too, all of these weapons could quickly be delivered almost anywhere that they wanted to. the simple truth is to hook it

on to the top of a scud missile or rocket and fire it over a great distance or put in it to an artillery shell and fire it that way. if that is done, then it could poison fields for days or weeks for anyone that walks through. the government there says they have no designs on doing any of this but the possibility, the possibility is what has many analysts worried. >> tom foreman, thank you. secretary of state hillary clinton held meetings today on russia with his -- on syria with her russian counterparts sergei lavrov. jill dougherty called us last hour and said russians have assures of assad he will not use chemical weapons and russian support for assad is wavering because they doubt he can survive the rebellion against him. police finally arrest american tech mogul john mcafee after evading them for weeks.

he's wanted for questioning in the death of his neighbor in belize. now a new development with his health. that's next. then no one will want to steal the deliciousness. with a variety of tastes and textures only chex mix is a bag of interesting.

just in to us here, a new development in the john mcafee saga. the millionaire software guru taken to a hospital in guatemala city because he was having con sulgss, according to to his attorney. mcafee wanted for questioning in his neighbor's murder in belize. he was arrested in guatemala overnight. perhaps not a huge surprise. this whole time, this guy was supposedly on the run, handing out tv interviews but listen to this. even from jail, mcafee has been blogging from behind bars. story just gets even more bizarre. more on the blogging in a moment but first let's show you a video of his arrest. and surprise-surprise, he was with a tv crew from vice.com when guatemala police took him in. the charge, entering the country illegally. this is exclusive video of vice.com. >> they're trying to arrest me.

guatemalan jails have beds. >> john, where are you going? >> to jail. >> when will you be out? >> and to think it was just yesterday when mcafee was telling us he was seeking asylum in guatemala. that request denied by the way. on the run since the 10th of november for -- since the murder of his neighbor greg fall. this is a picture of greg fall here. police -- belize police say they want to talk to mcafee but in guatemala, mcafee accused belize of persecuting him for refusing to pay a bribe to a local politician. the belize prime minister says mcafee is bonkers and paranoid and just yesterday he called a news conference. cameras show. listen closely as he tells his girlfriend about the cameras and how they're a big part of his

life in the u.s., he's a celebrity. vice media caught it all. >> you have never seen this before, have you? >> no. never in my life. >> this is my life in america, sweetie. >> that's good. >> you'll see i'm quite comfortable with this. >> brings us to mcafee's jailhouse blog. he has an official one calling it the hinterland. this is how he describes the jailers. i am using the computer of one of the wardens or whatever title is used here. he is a sweet man and a gentleman. the world is heavily populated with gentle people. he makes me coffee and tells tender stories about his life. he's a good companion. i believe i could spend weeks in the desert with him. his name is gino ennati. john mcafee from jail irks a boy lost his home, school. this is the reality postsandy. how a family is rebuilding its

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we now know egyptian president morsi addressed the country. it was about three and a half hours late here. this is after a night of deadly protests over his sweeping power grab. here he was. >> translator: this was an outcome to give us an opportunity to get to the right decision. whereby the majority should be govern according to democratic principles. the minority should go to the minority and all of us would -- should unite and cooperate in order to achieve our interests. without any partisanship or any -- allegiance to anybody

except to the -- to egypt. >> president morsi there moments ago in egypt. violent clashes as we have been covering the last couple of days now killed at least six people and injured more than 670. supporters of the muslim brotherhood clashed with opponents saying he made himself out now to be a dictator. thousands gathered outside the presidential palace to listen to the president's televised address. new jersey governor chris christie is in washington today. he's lobbying for more federal dollars for superstorm sandy recovery. new jersey governor estimates the storm did some $37 billion damage to his state. cameras were rolling as we caught the governor arriving at the white house this morning. and then he headed to capitol hill to meet with members of

congress. >> good morning. >> going home, guys. see you later. >> aid for state, considering the fiscal cliff and this budget crisis we're in right now? >> heading home now, guys. not taking questions today. >> heading home now, he says. story's very personal for one teenager. back home, who faces the impact of superstorm sandy everywhere he turns. he saved his family when that storm hit. he lost his home. and his school. but he hasn't lost his spirit. poppy harlow spent a day with ryan panetta in the broad channel neighborhood in new york. this is queens. take a look. >> reporter: the sun isn't up at breakfast time for the panettas. how tired are you? >> very. >> reporter: they're living in a borrowed one-bedroom apartment with their parents. how long is your commute to school now? >> it feels like two hours. >> reporter: what did it used to be?

>> 15 minutes. >> reporter: wow. 6:30 a.m. and at the door. a long car ride. >> have a good day. >> a bus to the temporary school. ps-13. >> unreal now how much life has changed. trying to make the best of it. >> reporter: he's an eighth grade honor student. one of 5,400 new york students still in different schools because of sandy. >> he's the one that i think was probably impacted the most and yet he has the strongest will to be here every day. >> when something brings you down, you got to get up. >> you okay, buddy? what makes you so sad? >> i honestly don't know. >> reporter: everything? >> it's everything. >> how did it go today, ryan? >> good. >> reporter: every day after

school, ryan returns to broad channel. to help his dad try to put their home back together. >> everything that i owned, everything i worked hard for, everything was there. and it's gone. there's nothing. >> reporter: joe was working overnights and karen home with their four children when sandy hit. >> it was unbelievable, how quick it came up. >> reporter: the water rushed in to the one-hour story house. ryan swam to a neighbor for help. >> i jumped out. >> reporter: here in the water? >> yes. i wasn't even thinking a log would hit me or anything. >> reporter: or the power lines? >> yeah. >> reporter: swam to this house? >> yeah. they took us in to the second floor. >> reporter: the neighbor brought the rest of the family over and they watched as the water engulfed the only home they have known. what did you think when your 13-year-old son jumped in the water? >> you know, i was panicking. i was panicking. >> reporter: did ryan help save your family? >> absolutely. >> reporter: no question? >> absolutely. >> i'm just thinking that the

water was going to come, like -- >> reporter: do you feel like your brother helped save you? >> yeah. >> reporter: yeah. all the panettas are working to rebuild their home and erase the bad memories. >> after what i've just been through, like, i don't hope i have to see anything that terrifying again. >> reporter: poppy harlow, cnn, broad channel, new york. starbucks ceo says going over the fiscal cliff is a bitter brew for the global economy. ali is back with more on that. plus, time to buy apple stock? that's next. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't work on runny noses. what? [ male announcer ] it doesn't have an antihistamine. really? [ male announcer ] really. alka-seltzer plus cold and cough fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a fast acting antihistamine to relieve your runny nose. [ sighs ] thank you! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus. ♪ oh what a relief it is! ♪ [ male announcer ] can't find theraflu? try alka-seltzer plus

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♪ democrats need to own up to taxes because they can't have their cake and eat it, too. from the cnn money newsroom, i'm ali velshi. this is "your money." i'm going to tell you what others won't about the fiscal cliff. the head of starbucks said it will damage the u.s.'s

reputation and shenanigans from capitol hill and with a cool 500 bucks to spend, should you use them now for a share in apple? apple says it will build some of the iconic mac computers in the u.s. listen to what apple ceo tim cook said to nbc's brian williams. >> so we've been working for years on doing more and more in the united states. next year, we will do one of our existing mac lines in the united states. >> but apple stock has been singing the blues for a few months. plummeted 25% off the all-high and a beating this week. 6.5% lower yesterday. apple up more than a percent today. kurndly around $544 a share. is now a good time to get in. you're all asking me. i'm asking katie stockton in connecticut. katie, is apple stock down off its high a phenomenally successful stock to hold for so

many investors and showing the chart again. you look at technical trading patterns in the stock. do they tell you it's time to buy, sell or hold this stock? >> they tell you it's time to buy and i say that because we need to keep the pullback of yesterday of about 6.4% in to perspective where it follows a relief rally of about 17.5%. so because of that, it has not generated any kind of breakdown in the stock. in fact, apple came back down and tested a level that it reached at the march -- i'm sorry. the may low and area seeing buying pressure in the past and it would be a natural level for buyers to come back in to apple and momentum is really not as bad as it felt yesterday from a longer term perspective. >> all right. so while we got you, if it's 445 bucks, 544 bucks, an opportunity to get in, is there a number it's a time to get out?

>> certainly. the initial resistance as we call it is around $600. that's where apple has met selling pressure pretty recently. that's a conservative upside target. it's about 10% above current levels and beyond that with a breakout above that level i think we could look at $700 again which is where we peaked in september. >> i don't know how you get work done in the day because people actually think you know about apple. i don't know anything about it. all they do is ask me whether they should buy the stock. thank you for telling the viewer what is you think. katie stockton joining us now. americans could be singing the blues if congress doesn't act to avert the fiscal cliff. the longer congress waits the more complicated for businesses to figure out how much to pay workers early next year. the confusion could cost employers money, especially small businesses which use payroll software which takes time away from running their business. starbucks ceo howard schultz

agrees. >> this single issue has a seismic affect on the rest of the world that we have never been as connected in the domino effect of a bad outcome here will have significant negative consequences domestically and around the world. >> negative consequences, seismic or not, none is stopping starbucks plans for 1,500 more cafes across america next year. and just as many around the world. but we get his point. speaking of the fiscal cliff, we know what the parameters of a deal in congress will look like, right? on taxes, republicans give in to raise taxes on the wealthiest 2% and democrats will agree to rein in tax breaks, right? democrats are fighting hard to preserve the tax deduction for state and local taxes, that costs the federal budget more than $80 billion a year. why? because 7 of 8 states where

taxpayers use the deductions that much are blue or democratic. new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, all blue with the highest state local -- state and local taxes taken out there and property taxes. the tax deductions on them benefit higher income taxpayers in states that consistently deliver for the democrats. i get the politics of this but democrats need to own up. they can't have their cake and eat it, too. in the end, we are all going to pay more or we are going to get less. if we're serious about the fiscal house in order. if demonstrates are serious about republicans to break with ideology and their party base, to vote for higher tax rates, democrats have to be willing to do the same and break with their base. both sides can go back to the politics after they get in right. quit scrapping. get the work done now, congress. all right. finally something you may not know. according to a new study gay people earn more than other americans a. survey of a thousand gay people by

prudential reported that annual incomes were more than $11,000 higher than national needian income and gays carry less debt than other americans do. $4,000 less than the national average and prudential said they're more likely to have a job, to save money and to build up more equity in their homes. why? well, prudential suggest that is the uncertainty of the future of gay rights over the years may have prompted them to be more prudent with their money. interesting. all right. that's it from the cnn money newsroom in new york. that's what you need to know f. you want to know more, watch this weekend saturday at 1:00, sunday at 3:00 eastern. i'm out. same time tomorrow. they're about 10 times softer and may have surface pores where bacteria can grow and multiply. polident is specifically designed to clean dentures daily. its unique micro-clean formula kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria and helps dissolve stains, cleaning in a better way

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all right. want to take you back out to michigan where massive protests shut down the state capitol building in lansing. at least by our latest count, eight people have been arrested. let's go to jim kurtzner live amid the may lay of wxyz. tell me what you're seeing and explain to us this right to work legislation, perhaps nearing a vote. what specifically are people protesting about that? >> brooke, this is part of the republican conservative trend sweeping through some states. michigan may be the newest state on the map to wipe out decades of closed shop union stronghold turning michigan in to a right to work state. we have seen union protesters here by the hundreds. in fact, they're inside the state capitol here in lansing, michigan, as we speak as this legislation is being taken up in

both the house and senate chambers today. it is on a fast track and written when this day started. we had a news conference earlier this morn of michigan governor snyder, republican. republicans control the house and the senate here in michigan. they're calling this workplace fairness. equality in the workplace. it is for public and private sector, employees, but it does not include police and firefighters. they're excluded because they have their own special place in michigan law. public act 312 that requires binding arbitration when they have any kind of a labor dispute. and the governor here also says they want to follow indiana. indiana passed this earlier this year and they don't want to see businesses locate next door in indiana by steering away from michigan. brooke? >> jim, let me ask you about the pictures berp lo s we were look. we saw people inside the rotunda, inside the capitol. the capitol closes in about an

hour and a half from now. what happens to the people if they choose to remain? >> if the house and the senate are still in session, they would have to keep the doors open. in fact, democrats announced a couple of hours ago here that they went to court with a lawsuit forcing them to open all the doors and to let all the people inside. you can't see beyond this trailer right here but there is still a couple hundred protesters out here on the east side of the capitol who cannot get in. they have been kept outside because they said the fire marshal said they had reached capacity with people inside but still in session, they have to keep the doors open. >> jim kurtzner, thank you so much. we'll be watching what happens through the rest of the day with the cnn affiliate wxyz out of detroit. appreciate it. we are following another breaking story here out of guatemala on the health of software pioneer john mcafee. he is under arrest and rushed to the hospital. we'll talk to correspondent just landed now in guatemala city on

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want to take you live to guatemala city where we have correspondent martin savage on the ground.

martin was the one who threw a route and pass words and got an interview with the pioneer software guy, john mcafee a couple of days ago and now arrested and now learning he's in the hospital. so, martin, if you're with me here on the phone, tell me about his medical condition right now. >> reporter: yeah, brooke. this happened about an hour and a half ago according to authorities here in guatemala city and he was transported he was transported from the facility where he was being held by interpoll to what's now described as the national police hospital in downtown guatemala city. and he's in the emergency room currently and being evaluated. his attorney paints a different picture than what's described. originally they were told something maybe pertaining to convulsions. but now his attorney says, no, it's something to do with his heart. he says it's cardiac and that the gang surfacing last night you know you were reading the

blogs of him john mcafee's been putting out inside the prison cell, he sounded absolutely fine. but his attorney says, no, actually his health problems began then. he's been rushed to the hospital and he's being evaluated now. >> so he's in the hospital. we know he was arrested. he was arrested in guatemala for entering this country illegally. but this all goes back he was missing for about a month in belize after the death of his neighbor there. what are the chances he'll be taken back to belize and possibly face charges? >> well, it sounds like his chances could be very good because the president of this country himself apparently came out with a ruling denying the asylum request. yesterday when you and i spoke we thought it seemed pretty ridiculous on what grounds john mcafee could ask for it. and the president of guatemala agreed. and he needs to go back to

belize. i've spoken to the authorities in belize and they are anxiously awaiting the return of john mcafee. they say when he lands in their country, they will take him in for questioning in police custody. >> okay. martin savidge in guatemala city. martin, thank you. back after this. [ tylenol bottle ] nyquil what are you doing? [ nyquil bottle ] just reading your label.

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and learn more. after all, when you're going the distance, it's nice to have the experience and commitment to go along with you. keep dreaming. keep doing. go long. on the case today, how's this for manslaughter, ten years of church. yep, you heard me right. this is what an oklahoma city judge sentenced 19-year-old tyler alred for pleading guilty for driving under the influence after causing a deadly crash that killed his friend last year. he was convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to ten years probation and must attend church every week, not two, not five years, ten years. aclu you they're stepping in. they filed a complaint says the sentence blatantly violating his

first amendment rights of freedom of religion. i want to bring in our legal analyst joey jackson in the studio with me. >> hello, brooke. >> the obvious question is did the judge violate his rights reportedly it's actually legal? >> first of all, most of my clients, brooke, would love to be sentenced to ten years of church instead of jail. >> right. >> now, on that basis, knowing that and understanding that, if the defendant consented to the sentence, it's not a violation of the defendant's rights. if the defendant did not, it becomes problematic. here's why. first amendment, separation between church and state. we can establish a religion of our choosing, and practice a religion of our choosing. as a result of that separation, a judge and court cannot impose on you you have to go to any church at all irrespective of your faith. >> can the aclu step in? >> fwo problems.

one, the issue of consent. the second is however a very technical issue, brooke. and that is standing. the person who sues has to be aggrieved, has to be affected, has to be damaged by the suit. and if the aclu is not in and you have itself aggrieved, then they have no standing legally to move forward. so they have to get this person's consent. but they might get it, brooke. here's why. enforcement. say for example he doesn't show up for a few weeks to church and all of a sudden it becomes a condition of a probation violation enforcing it's going to be problematic because the judge can't say you didn't go to church after all. and then it becomes a problem. he's going to say, aclu, i'm in trouble. can you help me? >> can i ask, how many years have you been in law? >> 16. >> have you ever heard of someone being sentenced to church? >> never ever. >> i haven't either. just wanted to ask you. curious. next case, a lot of people write all kinds of mean things online. so this d.c. contracting firm

suing a fairfax woman for $700,000 here for her negative remarks about the firm on yelp. she hired her old high school classmate's firm to do some work on her house. she alleges she was left with damage to her property. and missing jewelry. so what do people do when they aren't happy about a service they received? you go online places like yelp, places like angie's list and write whatever you want to. you blast the company so others don't make the same mistake and now the firm is suing her saying it lost $300,000 in business. and apparently the judge ordered the woman to remove the allegations and everything. so remove all the ugly words, right, off this website. generally your opinions are protected with the first amendment. >> bullies -- >> online -- people are mean online, aren't they? >> they could be. but they're still protected. >> you are protected. >> you are protected. you still have your protections no matter where. but here's the issue, the amendment and the constitution

it protects you against factual misrepresentations. it's a distinction between fact on the one hand and opinions on the other. now, arguably you could say that there were some facts in the things that she wrote online. however, here's where you get it, brooke. an absolute defense to defamation is the truth. and so therefore if her statements were true, she's protected. i think the underlying goal of this company is to chill this in the future. meaning, if other people want to write things about them, true or not, they're going to say wasn't that woman sued for all of this money? i'm not going to express my opinion. and that i think is the ultimate goal. but defamation cases very, very tough to prove. >> but can businesses, they really can't protect themselves from whatever somebody chooses to do online. >> do good work. >> right. but not everyone does good work. >> right. ultimately businesses can protect themselves. but here's the problem, the problem is that, look, everyone has an